The Road Less Traveled
by Angelikah
Summary: It's been a year and a half since she joined the organization, and Caroline still isn't all that fond of mass-murdering psychopaths. Well, except her boyfriend, but everyone has their things they need to work on, right? Sequel to The Travelers. Klaroline-centric. Dark!Klaus, Crime/Mafia AU/AH
1. A New Path

**Hey everyone! **

**I'm sorry that it's been a literal year and a half, but hopefully I'll be able to update more now. If you're familiar with the old version, there are some changes, but hopefully you'll be as happy with the new plot as I am :)**

**Dedicated to Kate, Melissa, Madina, and all the other people who have been reminding me that this fic is loved and missed. This would not have happened without you guys. Thank you to Sophie for beta work.**

* * *

**January 21st, 2014**

"The third we mourn today is Silas Petrova, who was one of the strongest people I've ever had the privilege of knowing. He had a way of making people feel safe, and he approached every problem with a unique mix of optimism, pragmatism, and dry wit. He was a fair man, a loving parent and grandparent, and, above all, a great leader. We stand here together as an extended family today to honor him and his memory. Let us have a moment of silence."

Elijah bowed his head to gaze at the floor, and the rest of the room followed suit before looking up again.

Katerina stepped forward from her place off to the side to stand next to Elijah. Her voice cracked when she spoke, though her tears did not fall. "I speak for us."

"We acknowledge."

"As-as the standing matriarch of the Petrova line, I, Katerina Diana, now claim leadership."

Her voice was shaking, and her face was pale, contrasting starkly with her plain black dress, but she stood with her head held high, almost daring anyone to dispute her claim.

No one did.

"We acknowledge."

"I swear to uphold our values, adhere to our philosophy, and fulfill our mission. We are Travelers. We are family."

"Always and forever."

Katerina turned to look behind her at the three coffins resting on a hastily constructed platform, each with the Travelers symbol etched on the foot.

The crowd broke away after that, a somber silence settling over the room. Caroline stepped forward, placing a hand lightly on Katerina's arm, and the other girl flinched, though she took Nadia into her arms, stroking her hair, finally letting the tears fall down her cheeks.

"I have no one left of my blood but you," she whispered to the baby, almost brokenly. "And I will find out who did this to you. To us. I will kill them."

**January 29th, 2014**

Caroline tried not to let the strained smile on her face fall as she sat across from her newest recruit. He'd gotten expelled from Yale for fighting (more of a decision to protect the school than because of the crime, she'd discovered), and his options were few. He had decided to accept their offer, and she was confident that he'd become one of their best agents.

"It was nice to meet with you again, Enzo. I'll have Jenna find you a place to stay more permanently as soon as possible, and you'll meet with Katerina as soon as she can fit you in."

They said their goodbyes and he left. Caroline closed the door softly behind him, leaning against it and running a hand through her hair as she heard him walk down the hallway.

She packed up her files, wondering whether she should check on Katerina before she left for the day.

Katerina hadn't done her makeup or hair for a week since the funeral (Elijah said that she determinedly covered all of the mirrors in the house so that she wouldn't have to see herself), and used the time to catch up on the desk work her grandfather had left behind. That morning she'd finally come in with her make-up on like war paint, heels clicking on the wooden floor of the offices, and had stuck her head into Caroline's office to ask for the weekly update.

Caroline had done her fair share of crying too, and Klaus had held her while she sobbed into his chest for Elena, Damon, and Silas. She knew that part of the reason Katerina had stayed indoors was because everyone still flinched whenever they saw her. Now, though, they all had to continue on with their daily lives, though most of them still occasionally ducked into a bathroom for a quick private cry when they saw something that triggered a memory.

Katerina had retired from fieldwork, and Nadia had a crib in each office. She was passed off to whoever didn't have a meeting at the time, which was usually Caroline or Katerina rather than Elijah, and Caroline knew that Katerina was taking to her unexpected motherhood with a mixture of terror and determination.

Before she could make a decision, she heard a familiar click of stilettos hitting the hardwood floor of the hallway followed by a sharp knock on the door. Caroline opened it immediately, standing aside to let her friend strut inside. "Hey, Kat. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she said shortly, nodding for Caroline to close the door. "I have to talk to you."

"What about?"

"Klaus's relocation to New Orleans."

"Wait, what? We're moving?"

"Well, Klaus is," Katerina said, flipping her curly hair over one shoulder. "You're free to stay and try the long distance thing if you want."

Caroline scoffed, her mind momentarily wandering as she considered suggesting long distance to him just to see how fast she'd end up bent over the bed being teased until she was practically promising to sell him her soul for an orgasm.

Probably best not to poke the monster, though.

She mentally shook herself, trying to get back on track.

"Does he know?"

"Haven't told him yet. I thought I'd tell you first so I could pull out the 'Caroline said it was a good idea'."

"Well, that would be a huge lie. I don't think it's a good idea," she said bluntly. "Why are you doing it?"

"The base is insecure," Katerina said. "Mason knew all the passwords and camera locations. It's entirely possible he could have somehow given them out. We have to shut the base down."

"Then why did you move all these people in? Enzo just got here, and aren't you transferring the four Parker siblings from the Portland branch? We haven't even met yet."

"Enzo's going with you, and the Parkers will meet you in New Orleans. The other people who are moving will follow within the next week. I just have to get everything scheduled, which you'll help me with, right?"

"Right, sure," Caroline said distractedly as she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to process. "Who else is going?"

"I'm not done placing everyone, but there's a good chance that most of us will end up there. The only ones who I know for sure aren't going are Finn, Sage, and the kids."

"Why?"

"That's classified," Katerina said lightly, and Caroline pursed her lips, but decided not to press.

"Okay, so who's going to be handling Klaus and Stefan, then?"

"Freya."

"Who the hell is Freya?"

"Klaus's cousin. You'll like her. She has a very similar amount of patience for Klaus's sociopathic-"

"For the last time, Klaus is not a sociopath," Caroline said sharply. "And what do you mean cousin?"

"His mother had a sister," Katerina said. "It's not complicated."

Caroline gritted her teeth, resolving to ask Klaus about what else of his family history he'd left out. "Are you coming after you finish closing the base here?"

"I don't know yet," Katerina said. "Look, just get ready to go. You're leaving tomorrow night."

"He's not even back from his mission yet."

"He'll be back tonight."

"That's still soon to leave."

Katerina shrugged. "That's how it works. If anyone asks, you're going on a mission. I also need you to drive with Enzo, since we can't trust him with a vehicle yet and he needs to be trained as soon as possible. Good luck with that."

Caroline held back a growl, running a hand through her hair again and standing back up. "Okay," she breathed, trying to get her thoughts in order. "Okay. I'll go home and pack. You should come by for lunch tomorrow. I'll miss you, even though I kind of want to strangle you right now."

"Sure," Katerina said, her face uncharacteristically sympathetic for a moment before she cleared it. "I'll budget out a hug for you tomorrow. You know I only give out five a year, so this is a blessing."

Caroline snorted. "Thanks," she said dryly.

"And Caroline, don't tell anyone. Really. I don't care who they are. Not even Stefan or April."

"Got it," Caroline said, nodding. "I need to pack up."

"Yeah. Go ahead," Katerina said. "I'll see you tomorrow before you leave."

Caroline gave Katerina a strained smile before the other girl turned and left, her brunette curls bouncing behind her. She wasn't looking forward to telling Klaus, especially since he'd have just gotten home from traveling and would be grumpy, and she resented Katerina for putting her in the position of messenger, but she knew that it was probably safer that way.

Sighing, she slung her purse over her shoulder and walked home, fumbling with her keys before unlocking the door to the house. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a shuffle of papers and low voices from the kitchen, and she poked her head in to see Katya and Dmitri sitting at the table with their homework.

It suddenly made sense why Sage had called that day and asked Caroline to watch them that afternoon. Dmitri and Katya were old enough that they could mostly look after themselves, but Sage probably wanted them out of her hair while she packed.

"Hi, Aunt Caroline," Katya said, smiling at her.

She still hadn't managed to make them stop calling her Aunt Caroline, which she suspected was mostly Klaus's doing.

"Katya," she greeted tiredly, dropping her purse on the kitchen counter. "You doing okay, Dmitri?"

Dmitri just nodded once, blushing slightly, before turning back to his work. She suspected that he had a tiny bit of a crush on her, which she hadn't noticed until Bonnie pointed it out when she'd been over once, and honestly all of them thought it was kind of adorable (with the exception of Klaus, who found it merely annoying).

"Have you eaten yet? It's almost six."

"Nope."

"Well, I can probably make some pasta if you'd like," Caroline said, already pulling out the ingredients for creamy pesto sauce.

One of the things she liked about not being a field agent anymore was that she could mostly eat whatever she wanted again. She hadn't eaten unhealthily before she came to the organization, but field agents had to be in excellent shape, and they rarely ate red meat or dessert, unless they were on a mission where not ordering it would be weird.

She knew that Klaus often took advantage of this, as he was very fond of cheeseburgers.

"Thanks," Dmitri said quietly.

"Of course."

She salted the water and put it to boil, stiffening when she heard the key in the front door. She turned around to poke her head out of the kitchen, smiling when she saw Klaus tiredly dropping his keys back in his pocket, a plastic bag of take-out in his hand, letting his black suitcase stay next to the door.

"Hey."

"Hello, Sweetheart," he said, walking over and giving her a kiss before turning to see Katya and Dmitri at the table. "Of course you're here," he said, rather grumpily.

"Hi, Uncle Nik!" Katya crowed happily, pushing out of her chair and walking towards him.

"No hugs," he immediately said, anticipating her intent, making her pout.

"You hug Aunt Caroline."

"Yes, well, Aunt Caroline is the one exception."

"That smells really good," Caroline said, turning off the burner. "Is that Thai?"

"Yes, although I only brought enough for the two of us," he said, giving Katya and Dmitri a significant look.

"It's okay, I hate peanuts anyway," Dmitri said, stuffing his papers into his backpack.

"Good to know that you leaving when we're having a private moment depends on whether you like the take-out I bring home," Klaus said dryly.

Caroline grimaced, wondering if Sage would be mad that she let them go home early, but the twins were old enough that they could behave themselves, and she would rather give Klaus the news without the peanut gallery.

"Will you get home okay?"

"Yep," Katya said as they grabbed their bags before they both walked out the door.

Caroline locked the door behind the twins and turned to Klaus. "How'd it go?"

"Fine," he said, pulling plates down from the cabinet and dumping an entire carton of chicken onto it, making Caroline's lips twitch.

"Hungry?"

"Very much so. How was your day? You had the meeting with the new one, right?"

She nodded, trying not to look too guilty. His eyes narrowed immediately though, honing in on her fidgeting. "Is everything all right, sweetheart? You look nervous."

"Yeah. A little," she admitted, biting her lip.

"What's wrong?"

"Kat told me that we're moving," Caroline said, her words rushed, and Klaus raised his eyebrows, setting his fork down on the table.

"Beg pardon?"

"Moving. You know, like, where take all our stuff and drive to a different city? Or base, I guess. She just told me."

"Where?"

"New Orleans," Caroline said hesitantly, and Klaus's shoulders relaxed. "We're leaving tomorrow."

He nodded thoughtfully, picking his fork back up. "All right."

"All right?" Caroline repeated, her eyebrows raised. "You're not upset?"

"Are you coming?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Obviously."

"Then not at all."

"You're not even worried about your siblings?"

"Are they not coming with us?" Klaus asked.

"I think so. Finn, Sage, and the kids aren't."

"Even better," Klaus said boredly before he took a bite of his chicken. "So? How was your day, then?"

She rolled her eyes, her lips twitching at his attempt at small talk, and scooped some food onto her own plate before sitting down next to him and beginning to eat slowly. "Well, other than the 'we're moving' bomb, I met with the new recruit. He's signed on, so I can talk about him now. His name is Enzo."

Klaus nodded, setting his hand on her knee under her skirt possessively, his thumb stroking her kneecap almost absentmindedly as he ate one-handed. "I see."

She hummed. "He's driving with us to New Orleans, actually."

"I'll have to find a gag," Klaus said darkly, and Caroline snorted.

"It'll be fine. Enzo reminds me a little bit of you actually."

"What, handsome and British with dodgy morals?" he asked, shooting her a grin before eating another bite.

Caroline's lips twitched. "Actually, yes."

He swallowed his food before his tongue darted over his lips almost lasciviously as he eyed her, and she smiled as he squeezed her knee before laying her palm on top of his hand. "Sounds like you're trying to replace me, sweetheart."

She tried to keep a straight face, but she couldn't fight down a smile. "Maybe."

"And why would you want to do that, love?" he asked, smirking and setting his fork down on the table, gently pulling his hand away from hers to clean his fingers with a napkin.

She recognized this movement for what it was-preparation to grab her-and shot him a taunting smile. "Why wouldn't I?"

He scoffed, and caught her around the waist in one smooth movement, picking her up and playfully nipping at her jaw as he set her on the kitchen table. She smiled as he brushed his lips along her collarbone and neck, looming over her with his palms planted on either side of her thighs. "Should I remind you?" he mumbled against her skin.

"I think that would be a good idea," she said, smiling and tilting her head slightly to allow him easier access.

She felt him smile against her neck before he bit her softly, making her moan, and his hands slowly pushed up the hem of her skirt, his fingertips brushing lightly against the sensitive skin of her thighs. "Hmm, as the lady wishes."

"Let's go upstairs," she said, her voice already slightly breathless as he dragged his tongue along the hollow of her throat.

"Why?"

"Your niece and nephew were literally just sitting at this table."

She felt his forehead hit her shoulder and realized that he was laughing at her.

"Hey, no, seriously."

"They've walked on the floor in the front hall."

"Yeah, but that's different. Everyone walks through the front hall."

"What about the desk in your study?" he asked, smoothly unbuttoning the top two buttons of her blouse. She didn't resist as he pressed her to lie down on the table, bending to press light kisses to the tops of her breasts.

"They never go in there," she gasped, letting out a soft moan as he continued to unbutton her blouse and unhooked the front closure of her bra, flicking his tongue against her nipple.

"The doorway to the living room?"

"Again, everyone walks through that."

"The stairs...Against the railing at the _top _of the stairs..."

She let out a breathy laugh.

"In our closet, in _both _showers," he continued, mumbling the words in light kisses against her skin before looking up with a wicked grin. "The prison cell in the basement that you think is 'inherently creepy'-which was excellent by the way, I appreciated you allowing me to use the handcuffs. We should do that again–"

She scoffed, reaching down to smack him playfully, but he dodged, grabbing her wrists and pinning them to the table, grinning.

"-Against the door of my art studio, _and _you let me paint you afterwards–"

She moaned as he bent to tug a stiff nipple between his teeth before sucking on it, the ache between her thighs growing more with each movement of his tongue.

"Against the fridge, against the kitchen cabinets–"

"Okay, okay, I get it."

"On the kitchen floor…"

"_Okay, _yes, we have a lot of sex. Can we go up to the bedroom now?"

"I rather like having you spread across the table," he said with a grin, unzipping her skirt and tugging it slowly down her legs before letting it fall to the floor. "Indulging in the taste of you after a hard day's work is quite the appropriate reward. Such a lovely, decadent treat you are, my love."

She scoffed with a roll of her eyes before sucking in a sharp breath and letting out a soft whine of his name as he sucked a mark on her shoulder that she knew would be there in the morning. She could feel him hard against her inner thigh, straining against his jeans, and she rolled her hips against him, making him groan.

"Now, none of that, sweetheart. I want to make this last. It's going to be our last time in this house, isn't it? I want it to be memorable."

He sunk to his knees, pulling her to the edge of the table and letting his tongue run along the damp lace covering her core. She moaned, spreading her legs for more, but he chuckled softly and pressed open-mouthed kisses to her inner thighs, making her squirm with light nips of teeth and strokes of tongue. She moaned as he sucked lightly on her skin, and she felt his stubble rub against her as he smiled. "Still want to replace me?"

"Not sure yet," she gasped out, grinning as he pressed a kiss to the inside of her knee before pulling the lace down her legs and pushing her thighs further apart, moving his hands under her to cup her ass, pulling her closer to his mouth.

He flicked his tongue lightly against her folds, making her moan, her back arching. "And now?"

She wound her fingers in his hair, pressing him lightly to try and bring him closer. "More, Klaus."

"Bossy," he mumbled as he pressed her closer to his mouth, his tongue swirling around her clit lightly as he slipped a finger into her.

"Klaus, please."

"I don't know," he said between light swipes of his tongue around her clit. "You seemed rather unsure of what you wanted earlier."

"No, I'm sure," she panted, rolling her hips against his fingers, which were pumping in and out of her _much _too slowly for her tastes.

"Sure of what?"

"You. I want you."

His fingers picked up speed. "Do you?"

"Yes."

"Tell me," he ordered, his fingers slowing again.

"I want you, Klaus."

"Hmm… Not convinced."

"I love the way you fuck me, Klaus. Your mouth always feels so good on me, and I love the way your cock feels inside of me. I need you," she panted, tugging his curls lightly. "Please."

His fingers sped up and she arched her back, the surface of the table hard against her body, but too lost in the way he was touching her. "Yes, right there."

"You like that, love?"

She nodded furiously, her hips meeting the thrusts of his fingers. "Faster, please."

His fingers stayed at the same frustrating pace, fast enough that her orgasm was building, but slow enough that she wouldn't tip over the edge any time soon. "Klaus," she panted. "Please, faster."

"What was that?" he asked, and she held back the urge to pull on his curls at his deceptively innocent tone.

"Fuck. Me. Harder. With. Your. Fingers."

"Say please."

"I've said please about ten times now," she said crossly, spreading her legs farther and grinding against his fingers, trying to get more friction. "Klaus, _please_."

"Be louder, love. I want to hear you scream _my _name so that the whole neighborhood can hear who's making you come. Can you do that for me?"

"Klaus, faster."

"Scream for me," he demanded, his voice low and rough, and her back arched as his fingers picked up speed.

She wound her fingers more tightly into his hair. "Tonguefuck me, Klaus. Your mouth always feels so good on me. I want you to lick my pussy until I scream. _Please, _Klaus."

She felt him smile against her thigh, and his fingers withdrew and were replaced with his mouth, his skilled tongue lapping at her entrance. She pressed his face against her, rubbing herself against his lips.

"Yes, harder. Just like that, Klaus," she panted out, spreading her legs as far as they could go, moaning at the visual of Klaus, who was possibly the most dangerous man in the country at the moment, on his knees with his face buried between her thighs lapping at her juices enthusiastically. "I'm so close."

He moved his hands back to her ass and squeezed it roughly, lifting her slightly and running his fingernails down the backs of her thighs exactly the way she liked as she ground her pussy into his mouth. "Fuck...Klaus...so close...make me come…" she gasped, her words almost incoherent through her harsh breathing and wanton moans as she writhed on his mouth.

His fingernails bit into her ass and she swore, climaxing on his tongue. He greedily lapped up her juices as she came down from her high before standing up and leaning over her, still fully clothed, grabbing her hand to press it against the bulge in his jeans. She smirked.

"Bend over with your palms on the table. Spread your legs for me," he ordered, giving her ass a light smack when she did so, making her moan.

She heard him unzip his jeans and his cock press against her entrance. "I'm going to fuck you hard, Caroline. I'm going to fill you with my cock while I pull your hair and squeeze your arse just like I know you like it. I'm going to make you scream for me, love. I want the entire base to hear who you belong to one last time before we leave."

He entered her in a single thrust, his hand already freeing her hair from its chignon to tug it. "Fuck, Caroline," he groaned, starting to move faster. "You feel so good, love, so hot and tight around my cock. You're mine, Caroline. Every last ravishing wanton inch of you is _mine_. I have been waiting to fuck you for the last week, and now I want to feel you come around my cock."

She pressed her forehead against the cool wood, her breathing growing more ragged as he slammed into her. She was _so fucking close again…_

"Who do you belong to, Caroline?"

"You," she said through her moans. "I belong to you."

He fucked her harder, the only sounds in the air their mingled groans and the wet slap of skin on skin, and he gasped out her name as he spilled inside her, tipping her over the edge while he fucked her as he came.

"I love you," she said immediately after their breathing calmed.

"I love you, too."

Her shirt was completely open, the straps of her bra drooping down her shoulders, the cups dangling uselessly in front of her, and she let them slide off her body, leaving her nude as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his neck and letting him support her. "Just to be clear, there's no need for you to be jealous," she said quietly.

"I know."

"I'm yours," she said quietly, nuzzling his neck.

She felt his mouth open as he prepared to respond, but she spoke over him before he could. "And you're _mine_, Klaus."

"Always, my love."

**January 30th, 2014**

Rebekah was curled on the couch picking at her nails. Something had seemed odd about Caroline's visit that morning before she and Nik left on their mission. Her brother seemed perfectly fine with Caroline being out on the field again, and that had set off alarm bells. She shook herself from her thoughts as she heard her boyfriend's familiar footsteps as he entered the room.

"I met with Kat today," Stefan said quietly, sinking down on the couch next to her.

"Did you?"

"Yeah. She's...She's going to transfer me."

Rebekah's mouth hardened into a thin, angry line. "Really?"

He nodded.

"And is my brother coming with you? And Caroline?"

"No. They moved to New Orleans, actually."

She honestly felt like she'd been punched in the stomach as she remembered her brother's casual demeanor earlier that day while Caroline scurried around the house packing way too much for just a mission. The dirty _liar_.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They were both silent for a few minutes as Rebekah processed, and she felt a lump in her throat. "So, I guess this is the part where you ask me to come with you?"

"Yeah. I guess it is."

She bit her lip at the luke-warm agreement. Did he not want her to come? No, of course he did, he just had trouble being affectionate, right? Even so, she loved Stefan, but she also loved her family. If she left, she wouldn't be able to be around her new niece or for Katerina and Elijah's wedding… But she felt like Stefan was her epic love. He _was_, and if it went badly, she could always request a transfer. At the same time, did she really want to leave her family? Her friends? Her _life?_

She took a deep breath and turned to Stefan, running her hands through her hair as she made her decision.

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"I'll pack," she said, and he gave her a small smile, tangling his fingers through hers.

"Let me know what I can do to help."

**XXX**

"Bonnie?" Kol asked from the other side of the door, knocking loudly.

"Just a sec, Kol."

Bonnie finished her careful measurement of the liquid she was pouring into the vial, listening to the satisfying sizzle of the experimental version of the new torture serum before carefully setting it back on the rack to set. She removed her goggles and hung them on the hook by the door before turning the knob to walk out and meet Kol, who was lurking next to the door in the hallway.

She closed the lab door, waiting to hear the reassuring beep of the keypad activating to keep it locked, and kissed Kol on the cheek. He squeezed her harder than he normally did, burying his face in her neck. "We need to talk," he mumbled.

She stiffened. "What kind of talk?"

"The not-a-good-talk kind of talk."

"Want to be more specific with that?" she asked, pulling away.

He sighed. "Come on, let me walk you home."

She swallowed hard, feeling her chest constrict in panic. He wouldn't be as affectionate if he was going to break up with her, right?

"Okay," she whispered. "Let me just grab my purse."

He followed her to her office and waited patiently for her to pick up her bag before he grasped her hand and led her out of the door to the hospital.

"What's going on?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Katerina's shutting down the base and moving us all to New Orleans. That's where Nik and Caroline went this morning. We're leaving on the first, and the day after we get there, I'm leaving for a mission."

Bonnie opened her mouth and then closed it again. "Oh."

He nodded seriously. "Yeah. Katerina's splitting up the teams as well. I know Silas liked to ignore Jer and Tyler because he's a prick-"

"Kol," Bonnie hissed, and her boyfriend rolled his eyes.

"What? It's not like he's around to hear it darling, and he really was a bit of an arse about it. Either way, the two of them shouldn't be on a team together, since they're a couple, so she's putting Tyler with a new handler named Luke, and Luke's twin sister Liv on the team with Jer and me."

"Oh," Bonnie said, not really sure what else she could say, the new information making her head spin.

"Yeah. So we have another few days together, and we'll be moving the whole time, and then I'm off to New York for six months with this new-"

"_Six months_?" Bonnie asked, her eyes widening.

He shifted uncomfortably. "With minimal contact." At the look on her face, he sighed and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Bon."

"It's not your fault," Bonnie said, feeling the tears start to well up in her eyes.

He'd been gone for months at a time before, but it had always been with free contact, and there had only been one long-term since they'd started dating. "When are we leaving?"

"Just a few days. I only got briefed just now. Apparently, Stefan and Bekah are going to Italy the day after next."

"This is...This is a lot," Bonnie said hollowly.

"I know, darling. Look, it'll be fine, all right? We'll say our goodbyes, drive down, and make the most of this week, shall we? I'll make sure that you have lovely memories of me in every room of our new place before I leave."

Bonnie's returning laugh was a bit watery, but Kol gathered her in his arms, stroking her hair, and she snuggled against him. "Yeah. It'll be fine," she agreed. "It's only six months, and we've known each other for ten years. Nothing's going to change."

"That's the spirit, darling."

**XXX**

"Please restrain yourself. I am attempting to get some rest," Elijah said irritably, glaring at the offender from his spot on the bed.

Nadia kept crying loudly in her crib, her limbs wriggling in the air, her face screwed up as loud hiccuping sobs escaped her tiny body.

He pulled himself out of bed, slightly resentful that Katerina had to work at the office that day (which he would prefer immensely over taking care of a baby), and picked Nadia up in his arms.

Her sobs immediately lessened to sniffles, and he sighed, bending down to put her in the crib.

As soon as he let go, the child started crying again.

He heard the click of his fiance's heels against the hardwood floors as she jogged to their room, kicking them off by their bedroom door. "Well don't just stand there staring at her, 'Lijah. Pick her up," she said irritably, pushing past him to pick up the baby.

He took the opportunity to subtly pick up her shoes and set them in the shoe rack in the closet, unable to stomach seeing her clothing strewn across the floor.

He turned to see that Nadia's head was resting on Katerina's shoulder, drooling on his fiance's designer blazer, and fought down a small smile.

"No. Stop smiling and take her."

"Err-I don't think–" he trailed off when he saw the look of absolute fury on her face.

"I have been walking around in four inch heels all day dealing with the intricacies of running an organization with locations in thirty-three different countries at the age of twenty-one. My sister, brother-in-law, and grandfather just died a week ago due to an unknown fast-acting poison that I only avoided because I spilled my wine glass by accident when we were out to dinner. I have just said goodbye to my best friend because I had to send her on a fifteen hour drive to fucking _Louisiana_ and don't even know if that's where I'm going or when I'll see her again. And now I come home and find out that you can't be left alone for less than eight hours while I'm gone to reliably _take care of a fucking baby?_"

Well, when she put it like _that_…

"My apologies, Katerina."

She bared her teeth in an expression eerily reminiscent of an angry tiger and he immediately reached out. "I shall take her to the kitchen and prepare food for her."

She carefully transferred Nadia into his arms before turning right back around and stomping away. He heard the shower start a less than a minute later and sighed, laying his niece on his shoulder and turning to walk down the stairs, inwardly praying that his suit would not be ruined by baby drool.

He checked the fridge door where Caroline had "helpfully" taped carefully-written instructions for how to care for a baby (including the intricacies of preparing bottles and diaper changes, complete with informative diagrams) after she'd seen Elijah's first attempt at making a bottle.

He went through the motions, carefully checking the instructions with every step and nodding each time he completed one, restraining the urge to find a pen and check them off as he went.

He carefully sat down on one of the chairs and fed Nadia, staring interestedly at her as she ate. Babies were remarkable creatures.

He heard a movement near the door and looked up to see Katerina approaching in plaid pajama pants and one of his few t-shirts, her hair damp, and her eyes red and puffy.

"Am I a bad person?" she asked in a small voice as she sat next to him.

He remained silent for a moment, not sure how to respond, but decided to try honesty first. "I don't believe so. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted a baby, and I've spent hours crying about it through the years. I wanted one so badly, and a tiny part of me _hated _her for her pregnancy...And now she's dead...And I feel like–"

"You feel like you wished for it. You feel guilty," Elijah finished, laying his free hand on her knee, the other supporting Nadia's head.

"Yes."

"Whether you wanted a baby or not has no influence on whether your sister became pregnant. Did you wish for your sister to die?"

She frowned, and when she responded her tone was hot and rough. "No, but–"

"Then you should not be guilty," he said simply, hoping that what he'd said would be enough.

Katerina's eyes filled with tears. "But I feel guilty anyway."

"Of course you do, and I know that you feel responsible on an emotional level, but you also logically know that it had nothing to do with you, and that the best way to honor her memory, and that of Damon and your Grandfather, is to do your best at the things they asked you to."

She nodded, sniffling, watching Nadia finish the bottle and then taking her in her arms, gesturing for Elijah to wash the bottle out in the sink, which he did, slightly thankful that she seemed to be over her (well-deserved) tantrum from earlier.

"I love you," she said quietly.

Elijah wasn't sure whether she was speaking to him or Nadia, so he answered for both of them.

"And we, you, my love."

**XXX**

"Enzo, this is my boyfriend Klaus," Caroline said.

Klaus tilted his head to the side as he stared the other man down. From what he'd gathered from Caroline's descriptions, she'd thought they might get on well, and Klaus honestly wasn't quite sure why. Though he would make an attempt for her, he doubted the two of them would ever move past a point right around 'reluctantly civil', and he wondered how long it would take for her to accept that.

He noticed that Caroline was shooting him a pointed look, and he reluctantly held out his hand to Enzo.

"Nice to meet you, mate," Enzo said shaking quickly before they both stepped back, and Klaus nodded, clearing his throat but not speaking.

Enzo raised an eyebrow and glanced at Caroline, and Klaus tightened his grip on her hand instinctively, resisting the impulse to tug her as close to him and far away from the other man as possible. He knew that Caroline didn't appreciate his overt possessiveness, especially in public, and Enzo seemed to be at least smart enough to have gathered that he wasn't to touch her.

He glanced at Caroline, who had what he recognized as a forced smile on her face. "Right, so, I packed some snacks and made a playlist that I think everyone can agree on, and if we leave now, we should get there before noon tomorrow. Why don't we load up the luggage. I'll drive first."

"All right," Enzo said, rolling his two suitcases to the back of the car so that he could put them in the trunk, and moving to the backseat of the car once he had.

Klaus followed with his and Caroline's, his utilitarian black luggage going in first, his art supplies having already been loaded carefully into the back seat. He couldn't help but smile slightly as Caroline playfully shoved him aside when he reached for hers, muttering that she could put her things in the trunk herself. He watched as she lifted her now-slightly-battered pink polka-dotted suitcases into the car, her blonde hair spilling around her face, remembering that she'd been in exactly the same position the first time they'd met a year and a half before.

How far they'd come since then, he thought as she turned to give him a bright smile, an expression so different from the one she'd given him back then, and he impulsively tugged her in for a kiss, smiling against her lips before she pulled back, her forehead pressed against his.

"Is it weird that I'm kind of excited?" she asked, her fingers fiddling with the hair at the nape of his neck. "It's like we're getting our own place together, where I'm not just moving into your house. It's going to really be ours."

He wasn't quite sure what the difference was, since, as far as he was concerned, she'd been perfectly slotted into his life since he decided he wanted her, but he nodded along. "Not weird at all, sweetheart."

She kissed him again quickly before pulling back and closing the trunk, the car keys jingling as she pulled them out of her back pocket. "Let's get this show on the road then, I guess," she said with a brief smile, and he nodded, walking to open the driver's side door for her.

"After you, love."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I'm so excited to hear what you think :D**

**Let me know if you like the direction it's going and whether you're up for me to continue. I know it's been awhile. As always, you can follow me at thetourguidebarbie for updates!**

**Hugs!**


	2. Moving Day

**A/N: Thank you to Sophie for beta work.**

* * *

**January 31st, 2014**

Enzo winced as the car drifted to the left of the lane again, curling his hand around the armrest in the back as though it might save him from a fatal collision. They'd been driving for a good five hours, and it was nearing one in the morning. Caroline had tried to start a few conversations, but they had all tapered off into awkward silences. She'd finally given up, simply shoving her phone at the boyfriend and telling him that he could play whatever he wanted as long as she didn't have to listen to 'that god-awful Muse cover of Feeling Good'.

He heard Klaus take in a sharp breath as the car jerked to the left and watched as he reached to set a hand on Caroline's as she gripped the steering wheel.

"You seem tired, sweetheart," Klaus said diplomatically, and Enzo barely restrained a laugh at her huff. "Why don't we pull over at the next gas station and we can switch?"

About twenty minutes later, Enzo found himself in the passenger seat, Caroline insisting that she should take the backseat so that she could lean back and use a pillow.

Klaus was silent for about half an hour, and Enzo flinched in surprise when he finally spoke at a normal volume even though Caroline was sleeping, his tone pleasant but with an undercurrent of danger. "Let me make a few things clear, mate. When we get to New Orleans, Caroline will most likely be your handler once you finish training. When you go on missions, she will stay in the car. If you somehow fail at the simple task of keeping her there, and she gets so much as a paper cut, I will kill you. I am not joking, and I do not make empty threats. Do we understand each other?"

"Isn't it _her_ job to make sure that _I_ don't get hurt?"

He regretted his words as soon as he saw Klaus's face darken. "Technically that's correct. However, Caroline tends to be a bit reckless. She'd settled into desk work nicely, but I have no doubt she'd be willing to take a handler role again. I will be most displeased should anything happen, and I assure you that I would express that displeasure slowly and painfully."

Enzo glanced behind him to look at Caroline, who seemed to somehow still be peacefully asleep.

"She could sleep through an alien invasion," Klaus said, an odd hint of fondness bleeding through his tone as he glanced in the rearview mirror.

"Noted," Enzo said slowly.

"Excellent. In addition, you will text me every morning and evening with an update when on missions," Klaus said, his tone businesslike. "I'd also advise that you do not inform her that this conversation took place. She does get a bit testy about these sorts of things, you see, and it'd be best if I didn't have to take out my frustrations on any of the parties involved. Are we clear?"

Enzo debated for a moment whether picking fight with someone clearly unhinged was wise, ultimately unable to resist the temptation to needle him a bit. "No, I think I need that explained again, mate. Why don't you clarify the whole drawn-out painful death bit."

Klaus immediately pulled over onto the shoulder of the freeway, and Enzo stiffened as he turned in the driver's seat to face him. "Don't tempt me to give you an example, _mate_."

Caroline let out a soft hum before muttering something indistinct, and Klaus glanced behind them. "You all right, sweetheart?"

She didn't answer, simply shifting in her seat, and Klaus shot Enzo a final glare before merging back onto the freeway.

Enzo stared out the window as they drove. Klaus was clearly overly possessive, and Caroline seemed like the naive sort. He wondered if she realized that her boyfriend probably tortured people for fun.

Well, it wasn't really his business, he decided. As long as she seemed happy, he wouldn't intervene. He barely knew the girl, after all.

**XXX**

"Sweetheart, have you seen my knife?"

"Which one?" Caroline asked, poking her head out of their walk-in closet into their bedroom to see Klaus bent over one of his suitcases. "Wouldn't it be with the rest of them?"

"The black one with the serrated blade."

She hung up the dress she was holding before walking out of the closet to their bedroom, appreciating the view of Klaus's clothes clinging to him as he bent over the suitcase. "I thought I packed them all in one box. Just let me finish unpacking our clothes and I'll try to find it."

"Thank you, sweetheart."

"Sure. Can you get started on the weapons rack? I'd rather not have everything in the suitcase."

He nodded, pulling the pieces of the metal shelf that he'd had to deconstruct out of one of the cardboard boxes.

She hung up her dresses and skirts and Klaus's suits, folding the rest of the clothes and stacking them on the shelves before zipping the suitcase back up. They were having the decorations shipped to a P.O. box and would pick them up later that week, and Caroline knew she'd most likely be unpacking them herself unless she waited for Klaus to get home from his test mission. She slid over the last suitcase she had to unpack and unzipped it, carefully sliding her workout clothes and lingerie into the small chest of drawers before pushing the suitcases into the corner and standing up, stretching.

She hummed contentedly as she felt Klaus's arms encircle her waist from behind, his stubble brushing against her cheek as he pulled her closer, his index finger hooking into one of the front belt loops of her jeans. He'd gotten more comfortable with initiating touch, especially after she told him that cuddling was not optional and he'd have to deal with it. There was an overt feeling of possessiveness when he held her, always with her whole body pressed against his, his strong arms wrapped tightly around her.

"Do you like the apartment?" he asked quietly.

She smiled. He'd picked it out, she knew. The Travelers owned what seemed like half the city, and Klaus had called ahead to whoever managed the housing after Caroline had told him they were relocating. When Caroline had arrived, she'd been surprised at the old brick apartment building they'd ended up at, and she realized as soon as they got to the top floor that Klaus had wanted to pick something especially for her.

"Yeah. I mean, I want to redecorate a bit, but I love the big windows and the walk-in closet," she said, letting her head fall back against his shoulder as he kissed her neck softly. "It's nice that we have half the floor to ourselves. You can have a studio, and I can have an actual office. I'd love to get a nice TV for the spare bedroom. We can turn it into another living room and put movies and books in the closet."

"Whatever you want, sweetheart."

She grinned, tipping her head slightly so that he could nip at the hollow of her neck. "I'm so happy we have our own place now. It'll be nice to be able to really relax."

He hummed, his thumb sneaking under the hem of her blouse to brush along the sensitive skin of her abdomen, dipping under the waistband of her jeans, and she moaned softly.

"So, you're leaving the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Most likely. If I don't immediately murder my new partner."

"Hey, no death," Caroline said, though her reprimand was a bit half hearted as he dragged his tongue along her neck just the way she liked it.

"Noted, love."

"I need to talk to you," she gasped out, knowing that it would be better to rip off the band-aid sooner rather than later.

"About?" he asked, pulling away from her neck to nuzzle her ear.

She wriggled out of his arms, and he let her, following her to the bedroom where she flopped down on the mattress. He climbed on after her, toeing off his shoes at her pointed glance before leaning back against the pillows and looking at her. "What's wrong, Caroline?"

"Nothing, at least in my opinion, but I know you'll be mad."

He frowned, and she sighed. "So, Kat sent me a text earlier to say I'm Enzo's interim handler, since the DeMartels have the base under control bureaucracy-wise," she said, grimacing and starting to ramble at the way his brows furrowed. "She said I don't have to, but I want to do it. This is not me asking for permission, because I know I want to and I already said yes to her. I just thought we should talk about it. You promised that you would back off about me being in the field after Mikael died, and I really think I'm ready, and it won't be that bad, and I promise I won't do anything super reckless."

"Caroline," he interrupted when she stopped to take a breath. "I knew that she would. I'll admit that I'm not happy about it, and I have some conditions."

"I can't promise anything."

He reached for her wrist and she got the hint, scooting closer to him, and he draped an arm around her waist, his palm pressing into her lower back possessively as he pinned her with stubborn eyes. "You will attend training with Enzo and brush up on your fighting."

"Okay."

"You will not endanger yourself unnecessarily on missions."

"Done."

"Just to clarify, I mean that you will stay in the car where you belong as a handler unless you absolutely must leave for some reason."

She pressed her lips together. "I'll stay in the car unless I have to intervene for the safety of my agent or the completion of the mission," she said, meeting his gaze unflinchingly, and he just stared at her for a few seconds before speaking again.

"I need to know when you leave that you'll be doing your best to keep yourself safe," he said quietly. "I understand that it's dangerous, but I know that you're determined to go back out into the field. Please just give me some peace of mind."

"I'll do my best to stay safe," she said quietly, and he smiled slightly, a flash of dimples cutting into his cheeks before he wiped his face clear again. "I love you."

"I love you, sweetheart," he said, his hand moving up her spine to fiddle with the ends of her hair, and she laid a hand on his arm, his henley soft under her fingers.

"You'll be careful too, right?" she asked, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"I don't need to be careful. I never get injured," he said easily, and she glared at him.

"So maybe you didn't get the memo here, but I'm just as scared for you as you are for me. I'm terrified that you'll leave and then I'll never see you again."

He looked uncomfortable, the seriousness in her voice combined with their closeness making him shift slightly, but he nodded, meeting her eyes. "I have no intention of leaving you, Caroline," he said before bending to brush his lips lightly against hers.

"Good."

**February 1st, 2014**

Klaus leaned against the wall next to the bookshelf, trying to get a sense of Pearl Zhu as she and Freya chatted about some new television show.

He and Pearl had never met, but she ran the base in New Orleans and had been a close friend of the Petrovas for a long time. She was intelligent and stern, and for the moment he sensed that it would be easier to get the leeway he wanted if he let her think that she was in control.

They were set to meet Malachai Parker, who was to be his new partner since Stefan had been moved to Italy. Klaus still wasn't pleased about that relocation, and he was waiting for an opportunity to sneak away from Caroline's watchful eye to call Rebekah and demand that she come back home where she belonged.

There was a slow knock on the door before Pearl called for the guest to enter, and a young man stepped through, an easy smile on his face that made Klaus's skin crawl with a rush of instinctive dislike.

"Please, sit," Pearl said, her tone businesslike as she gestured to the hard chair in front of her desk.

"Thank you for approving the transfer for me and my siblings," the man said, giving her a smile that was all teeth.

Pearl smiled slightly. "We can use your skills here. Now please, let me introduce you," she said. "This is Klaus Mikaelson, he'll be your new partner, and his cousin Freya will be your handler."

"Nice to meet you. I've heard good things," the man said to Klaus, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Have you?"

"Yes. My trainer told me when I finished that my scores were the second-highest since the '90s. I nearly beat you in firearms, I was only two points behind, but the rest were between seven and ten."

Klaus's eye twitched. "Is that so? I'm not quite sure who you are, I'm afraid. Perhaps I was told and just didn't think your scores were significant enough to merit any thought. May I ask your name?"

The other man grinned again, clearly unintimidated by Klaus's blatant insult, his handsome face almost demonic. "Malachai Parker, though I prefer 'Kai', obviously. Malachai is a bit of a mouthful, but I guess you'd know that, _Niklaus_."

Klaus gave him a tight smile. "Just Klaus."

"All right. Well, 'just Klaus', I look forward to working with you."

Klaus's fingers twitched as he fought the instinct to strangle the other man and throw him out a window. Pearl talked a bit about the sorts of missions they'd be doing and that she would send them on a test mission to make sure they could work together well, and once they were done, Kai excused himself, saying he had to check on his sister.

Klaus waited until Kai closed the door to take a deep calming breath. Freya leaned back in her chair, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets. "Well, he seemed nice!" she said cheerfully, and Klaus resisted the urge to throw a book at her head.

He'd have to wait until the man did something irritating enough that he could justify the kill to Caroline, since he knew that she'd find out somehow. She'd gotten better about him killing as long as she didn't have to hear about it, but murdering his partner seemed like something she wouldn't be happy with. Perhaps he'd just 'accidentally' let Kai die on a mission? No. Caroline was smart enough to know that it would have been purposeful, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

He'd have to think on it.

He stood up and walked to the office door, not commenting when Freya followed, falling into step beside him.

"So, I heard you have a girlfriend who isn't a corpse," Freya said brightly. He remained silent, but she wasn't deterred. "Bekah told me that she's nice."

He hummed in agreement, walking faster, but Freya unfortunately had no trouble keeping up. He was walking home, and he had no doubt that her plan was to meet Caroline by following him. He stopped abruptly, turning to face her. "Caroline wants to meet you. I'm sure I'll be forced to introduce you eventually. That day is not today. Leave."

**XXX**

Caroline groaned at the persistent knocking on the apartment door, which had been growing progressively louder and more irritating for the last few minutes. She'd set up a small office near the front door, and she was rather thankful that Klaus's studio was far enough away that he couldn't hear the knocking.

She'd told him earlier that if _one more neighbor _decided to come around with a casserole she might let him kill them, and he'd seemed to take it a bit more literally than she'd meant it.

She sighed, accepting that whoever had been knocking for the last two minutes would not take a hint and she'd have to answer it to prevent bloodshed. She closed her laptop and left it on the couch to go answer the door.

It was a girl who was probably just about Caroline's age with curly blonde hair, too much eyeliner, and no 'welcome to the neighborhood' perishable food items. She looked Caroline up and down rather disdainfully, curling her lip.

"Can I help you?" Caroline asked, trying to keep her fake smile looking as genuine as possible.

"My name's Liv. I'm looking for Klaus."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Liv Parker?"

"Yeah. I need my scarf back."

Caroline frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Look, I just need to know if he lives here."

"He does," Caroline said stiffly.

_Why_ did Klaus have this girl's scarf?

"Okay. Um, can I come in?"

Suddenly feeling rather rude, Caroline stood aside. "Sure. Do you want to sit?" she asked, gesturing to the couch.

Liv plopped down on the couch, putting her feet on their coffee table and crossing them at the ankle. Caroline fought down the urge to physically push them off the recently cleaned wood.

"Sorry, what's your name?" Liv asked.

"Caroline."

Liv frowned for a moment before realization dawned on her face. "Oh, you're Klaus's handler."

"I was," Caroline said slowly, trying to figure out where she'd gotten all of this information, suddenly feeling rather exposed.

A shadow of a frown crossed the other girl's face. "I was working in San Jose last year, and he called me at the crack of dawn to ask if I had–"

"A cashmere scarf," Caroline finished, suddenly realizing what was going on. "Liv as in Olivia?"

"No, Liv as in Penelope," the other blonde said sarcastically.

Caroline's eye twitched, but she kept a smile pasted on. "I have it in my closet somewhere, I think. Let me grab it."

Caroline went to her closet. When Klaus had helped her pack, he'd put it in a ziploc bag so that she'd be able to move it around without worrying that the fibers would get on her clothes. Liv gave her a raised eyebrow when she came back with it and unzipped the bag, putting the scarf on the couch and holding out the bag for Caroline to take.

"You can just put that on the coffee table," Caroline said, standing with her hands clasped in front of her. "Thanks for coming by."

Liv just leaned back on the couch, not taking Caroline's blatant hint. "So, do you like, live here?"

"Yes," Caroline said, her tone clipped.

"Are you dating his roommate?"

"No," Caroline said, bristling, glancing in the direction of the next room as she heard Klaus's footsteps approaching.

"Then why do you live here?"

"Because she's my girlfriend," Klaus said irritably, walking into the room. "Hello, Olivia. I would say that it's lovely to see you, but we both know I'd be lying, especially since you seem intent on harassing Caroline."

"I'm not _harassing _her."

"Well, as she doesn't normally look at people like they're no better than a cockroach, I'd assume that you are."

"It's fine, Klaus," Caroline cut in tiredly. "I need to finish up a report and run it over to Alaric before he starts training Enzo. It was nice to meet you, Liv. I'm sure you can see yourself out."

Catching a glimpse of Klaus's amused smile, and she walked away to her office without waiting for Liv to get out, sinking down on the couch and pulling her laptop back.

It wasn't long before Klaus sat next to her on the couch, placing an arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry about that, love."

She pushed her laptop off to the side and laid her head on his shoulder. "So, you two knew each other?"

"Jealous?" he asked, his lips twitching.

"Actually, no. She doesn't seem like your type."

"And what's my type?"

"Me," Caroline said, shifting to smile at him. "I was just curious."

"I was paired with her for a mission while they were still trying to find an appropriate partner for me. She's quite good actually. Clean kills. If she hadn't been so irritating I might have kept her."

Caroline raised an eyebrow at him. "Kept her?"

"As I said, she was good."

Caroline wrinkled her nose. "Out of curiosity, did you two...?" she waved her hand in what she knew was a vague gesture, and Klaus's lips quirked slightly.

She bit her lip, feeling absolutely ridiculous. She knew Klaus loved her, and it wasn't that she needed reassurance, because she _knew _that, but more the idea of someone that unpleasant putting their hands on what was hers...

"Did we...?" he prompted, looking vaguely amused.

"Did you have sex?"

He seemed to debate what to say for a moment, which she knew meant 'yes', and he looked uncomfortable for a few seconds before he spoke. "Nothing ever meant anything to me before you, Caroline."

"I know," she said, laying her head on his shoulder. "I just don't like the idea of her filthy paws all over you."

"I remember saying something similar recently about your previous lovers."

"Yeah, but you're weirdly possessive. Which, friendly reminder: only sexy in small doses."

"Can you blame me for wanting to keep you all to myself?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low, silky drawl, and she shifted, feeling the beginnings of arousal stir between her thighs. "I don't like others touching what's mine."

"Klaus, I wasn't lying about this report."

"I know you weren't. I'd just like to remind you of who you belong to before you get lost in your work," he said, reaching to cup her cheek and pressing a soft kiss to her lips, but she fought off her temptation to melt into him, gently pushing him away.

"And I want to remind you who _you _belong to, but I really have to do this," she said grumpily, pulling her laptop back on her lap and opening Enzo's file to copy over the relevant information so that Alaric could read it before the next day. "I do have some good news though! I told Alaric that there was no way I was getting up before nine, so I'm babysitting Summer for the weekend while you're gone in exchange for starting at noon."

He hummed, and she huffed when he rested his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling her jaw in a clear attempt to tempt her away from her work. "Stop looking at what I'm doing over my shoulder."

"But you're making it so easy," he said his lips traveling over her ear.

She shivered. "Klaus…I have work to do."

"Are you sure you don't have time for a break?"

She turned to glare at him, knowing that she was dangerously close to giving in, that Klaus was most likely prepared to fight dirty if necessary (and in the most delicious possible way). "I'm sure. Go paint."

He huffed, but disentangled himself, planting a soft open-mouthed kiss on her neck and flicking his tongue over her soft skin, making her moan, before he got up and wandered out to his studio.

She took a steadying breath, knowing that it would be better to finish up her work now. Sighing, she resolved to finish as quickly as possible, cursing her own sense of responsibility.

**XXX**

"Done packing?"

"Yep."

"That took forever," Tyler grumbled, and Jeremy snorted, sinking down on the couch next to him.

"Well, it's six months. That's a long time."

"I know."

"Hey, don't be grumpy."

"I'm not grumpy," Tyler said, and Jeremy snorted.

"Yeah. Okay."

"Look, I just...ever since Mason..." he trailed off uncomfortably, and Jeremy sighed.

Since Mason had betrayed them, Tyler had been withdrawn and irritable. The rest of the base had been wary of him for a week or two until Jeremy had snapped at Rebekah that Tyler hadn't known and could she _please _stop treating him like a leper. He knew that it had been hard to adjust to, especially since Tyler didn't have any other family, and though Jeremy usually kept his opinion to himself, he'd texted Katerina that he didn't think that he should be taken away on a six month mission so soon after what had happened.

Katerina's returning text had been blunt and simple. _Deal with it._

"I'm sure it'll be fine. If Kol can sneak off a call or two to Bonnie I should be able to get one with you every now and then too."

"I can't believe this mission is no-contact. It's bullshit."

"Yeah, I know."

"It's long for your first time with a new agent, too," Tyler said, and Jeremy could hear the resentment in his voice.

"Well, at least Kat's trying to distract you. Aren't you heading on a month long a day or two after I leave?"

"Yeah," Tyler said, stretching, and Jeremy slid an arm around his shoulders, leaning against him. "Luke seems okay."

Jeremy nodded. "I'm glad. To be honest, I think I'm going to have a bit of trouble trusting anyone else to make sure you don't run off and get yourself killed."

Tyler shot him a faux-hurt look. "You really think I'm that reckless?"

Jeremy laughed. "Yes, I really do," he said before sighing and leaning farther against Tyler's shoulder. "Where are you going, anyway?"

"Baltimore. Just security. Really low-key. Apparently Luke has some time off after that to go back to San Jose and visit his boyfriend."

"I thought they were from Portland."

"Kai and Jo are. Liv and Luke were in San Jose for the last few years. Apparently they wanted to be on the same base again, so Kat approved them to come here."

Jeremy nodded, his eyes drooping. He yawned. "I'm sorry. I've been working on arranging flights and stuff all day. I'm not trying to fall asleep on you."

"Kol's with Bonnie, so I think I'm stuck here for the night anyway," Tyler said easily. "If that's okay, anyway."

Jeremy cracked an eye open at the clear insecurity in Tyler's voice. "You don't have to ask, Ty."

Tyler hummed, dodging what he clearly sensed to be an oncoming emotional conversation, and Jeremy rolled his eyes before closing them again, settling against Tyler's shoulder.

Jeremy felt Tyler take a deep breath, his hand draped on Jeremy's thigh. "I love you, Jer."

"Love you too."

**February 2nd, 2014**

It was _way _too early in the morning to deal with this, Bonnie decided. She ran a hand through her hair before bending over the closest cardboard box and rifling through it. Kol, Liv, and Jeremy were leaving that night, and they were packing everything into the moving van so it would be at the apartment the next day when they arrived. Kol had insisted that he was all packed and had everything he needed, but Bonnie couldn't help but want to stall them leaving for as long as possible. Putting the boxes in the truck would make it real. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

Six months. It was only six months.

She could handle six months.

The voice she'd been trying to ignore for the last half hour cut through her positive thinking like a jagged knife. "I can't wait to be in New York and out of this hellhole."

"You literally just got here yesterday," Bonnie said, glancing at Liv, who was carrying a box labeled 'FRAGILE DO NOT SHAKE' to the van.

"Long enough for me to know it's a hellhole," she drawled, setting the box down and immediately stacking another box on top of it before pushing it to the back. Bonnie gritted her teeth, roughly tugging the role of tape to seal the box she had just double-checked.

"You should probably be more careful with that."

"It's just guns. It's not like they're loaded."

"Actually, that's the healing serum, which is pre-dosed in syringes."

"I doubt we'll need it."

Bonnie stood up, clutching the tape roll in her hand and marching over to Liv, poking the other girl in the chest. "Okay, listen. You are about to go on a six month mission with my boyfriend, and I'm not going to be able to check on him. In case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of worried, and you not bothering to be careful with the one guaranteed way of saving him if he gets injured is not giving me confidence."

"He'll be fine. This is his job."

"Yeah, well, people die doing this all the time. So if you could take the bitch down _just a little_, that would be-"

"Hello darling," Kol said from behind her, and Bonnie turned to see Kol, who bent to peck her on the lips, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Sorry to interrupt, but your brother was asking after you," he said to Liv, gesturing towards Kai, who was chatting with Jeremy.

"Ugh, of course he is," Liv muttered. "Probably wants to rub it in that he's working with Klaus."

Kol looked slightly offended, but before he could say anything Liv walked off to Kai.

"I don't like her," Bonnie muttered.

"To be honest, I don't either. Her brothers are all right, though. Kai's lots of fun to have around, if a bit unbalanced. Then again, who isn't unbalanced among this lot. Have you met the other sister yet?"

"Jo? Yeah, she works in the lab with me now."

"Do you like her?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Yeah."

He bent down to kiss her quickly before squeezing her hips lightly. "Well, everything's set for us to leave tonight. Would you like to come over for the afternoon? We can watch a movie?"

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now?" Bonnie asked, half laughing but allowing him to lead her away.

"You can call it whatever you want. I've finally trained my way out of saying 'film' just for you, darling, but if you'd rather I went back to calling it the _correct_ word..."

"Wait, you actually meant watch a movie?"

"What else would I mean?" he asked, giving her a quick wink, making her laugh at his teasing.

They walked in a comfortable silence back to the apartment he was now sharing with Tyler. He helped her with her coat and hung it up with his in the front closet before kicking off his shoes, and she giggled as he picked her up, peppering kisses on her cheeks as he carried her up the stairs. He pushed her up against wall as soon as he closed the bedroom door behind him, pressing himself against her, his mouth eagerly fusing to hers.

She moaned as he squeezed her ass lightly through her jeans, and her fingers tangled in his hair, tugging slightly, making him groan into her mouth. She rubbed herself against the bulge in his jeans, both of them moaning softly at the contact. Breathing a bit heavily, she pulled back slightly and rested her forehead against his.

He turned around, easily carrying her to the bed and dropping her, tugging his shirt off and throwing it to the side as she did the same with her own before putting his hands on either side of her, looming over her and reaching down to unbutton her jeans, pulling them down her hips and legs and letting them fall in a pile on the floor before doing the same with her panties. Kneeling between her legs, he pulled on the backs of her shins to make her scoot to the edge of the bed and placed kisses on her inner thighs, scraping his teeth along the skin slightly, making her head tip back as she moaned.

"I'm going to miss this," he mumbled against her skin as he brushed his lips closer to her core. "I'm going to miss the sounds you make for me, and the way you taste."

She panted his name as he gave her pussy a light lick, his tongue tracing her entrance, moaning at the taste of her on his tongue. She wound her fingers into the sheets of his bed, trying to keep herself from grinding her pussy against his lips as he eagerly lapped at her folds. He pushed two fingers into her and she felt herself contract around them, as he fingerfucked her while his tongue circled her clit.

"Kol, that feels really good," she encouraged, one of her hands moving to run through his hair. "Just like that, please."

His tongue sped up a little bit and she moaned loudly, her legs spreading slightly wider trying to give him better access to fuck her with his tongue. "I'm close, Kol," she panted, swearing as he hooked his fingers in her while giving her clit a light suck, and she came undone, shouting his name as she came.

He brushed his lips along her inner thighs, murmuring how beautiful she was when she came before pulling off the rest of his clothing and climbing on top her, his erection pressing insistently against her thigh. She cupped his face in her hands and placed light kisses and licks along his face, tasting herself on his lips and cheeks before returning her lips to his, tugging his lip between her teeth. He stroked her flat stomach and hips with his palms before rolling over, pulling her on top of him. "I want you to ride me, Bonnie."

She grinned slightly, pushing herself up on her knees and stroking him a few times before positioning him at her opening, sinking down onto him with a breathy moan. She rolled her hips against him before she started moving, and she watched him watch her, his pupils dilated with lust as she moved on top of him.

"Take your bra off, darling. I want to see all of you."

She moaned as he bucked into her while she reached around to unclasp her bra, shrugging it off and rocking against him more quickly, her breasts bouncing slightly. He reached up to run his thumbs over her nipples, cupping her breasts in his hands and squeezing them. "Do you like that," he asked, smiling wickedly at her as her eyelids fluttered shut and she moaned loudly. "Yes," she gasped out.

He smirked before grabbing her hips, lifting her off him so that he could scoot back against the headboard. She sank back onto him and he attached his lips to one of her nipples, sucking and nibbling lightly before moving to the other, one hand resting on her ass and the other running through her bobbed hair.

"You are so beautiful."

She gave him a wide, bright smile, her eyes connected with his, and ran her fingernails down his chest. He groaned her name and bucked even harder against her, and she rolled her hips faster, rapidly approaching her second climax.

"Touch yourself," he demanded, steading his hands on her thighs.

She obligingly began to rub her clit as she bounced on his cock, her other hand playing with her nipples. She moaned his name, knowing that watching her pleasure herself was one of his turn-ons, and bit her lip, letting her eyelids flutter.

"Yes, Bonnie, just like that. Come around me, darling."

It only took a few more seconds for her to reach her second peak, and she writhed on top of him, furiously rubbing herself and panting out his name. He came just as she was coming down from her high, and she collapsed on top of him.

"I'm going to miss you so much," she mumbled against his neck, inhaling the scent of him.

"I'll miss you too, but I'll be back before you know it. If I know you at all you'll distract yourself with your work. Just remember to eat three meals a day, all right?"

She laughed. "You know me too well."

"I learn new things about you every day, darling, and every single discovery makes me fall further in love with you."

She bit his neck lightly, making him shiver as she smiled against his skin. "Sap," she accused quietly.

"Only for you, Bonnie."

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you thought :D Enjoying the Enzo/Caroline friendship? Like the klaroline fluffish scenes? Anything you're looking forward to?**

**Please let me know :D Most of the reviews are from the old version of this fic, so I'd love to know your thoughts on the new version!**

**Hugs!  
\- Angie**


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